51 years since it was made and very current. And well done. In fact, any film with Lalo Schifrin's music deserves a view. Schifrin is a living legend, has signed a lot of masterpieces such as "Mission: Impossible" (1966-1973), "Mannix" (1967-1975), "Dirty Harry" (1971), "Magnum Force"(1973), "Charley Varrick"(1973), "Joe Kid"(1972), "THX 1138"(1971), "Kelly's Heroes" (1968), "Once a Thief "(1965), "The Cincinnati Kid"(1965), "Cool Hand Luke"(1967), "Coogan's Bluff"(1968), etc. etc., 212 credits in 2018. William A. Graham was a very good and prolific director, an action and suspense films specialist. The cast includes many great actors: Edmond O'Brien, very good in the role of the bomb maker who place it where nobody not even think it can be, Van Johnson, as the captain of the plane, Edward Asner, John Saxon, Jack Lord, Michael Sarrazin, etc.

Back in 1966, "The Doomsday Flight" wasn't quite as familiar and tired a genre film as it would seem today. The "Airport" films were all made a few years later, though a few air disaster flicks had preceded it as well, such as "The High and the Mighty" and "Zero Hour!" in the 1950s. This take on the air disaster films is a bit different because it was made for television and it was written by Rod Sering. The overall effort is about as good as the better air disaster pics...and a lot better than the really bad ones (like "Airport 75").A cross country flight has many of the usual caricatures aboard. A maniac (Edmund O'Brien) calls the airport to tell them that he's put a bomb aboard the plane after it's taken off. He informs them that the bomb will automatically activate itself when the plane drops below 4000 feet! There is then a mad scramble to try to find out where the bomb is and provide the creep his ransom money if they cannot find and disarm it. The agent in charge of all this is played by Jack Lord but Gregg Morris and Ed Asner are also on hand to handle the case.The best thing about this film is probably the maniac. Edmund O'Brien is very malevolent and seems to delight on toying with everyone. It also becomes apparent that even if they pay him, he might just let the plane explode anyway!! A very tense and well made film with many aspects which were used in the parody film, "Airplane II". Worth seeing but familiar.

Think Rod Serling wasn't a Thunderbirds fan? Then check out this 1966 telemovie about an airplane with an altitude-sensitive bomb on board, programmed to explode upon descent - the plot is a direct inspiration from Thunderbirds' pilot episode "Trapped In The Sky."

This must be one of the movies the makers of Airplane used as "inspiration" (but without the poisoned fish). Isn't that the same little old lady - without her cocaine this time?